Some Of My Favorite Online Video Shops
Since the demise of the "mom & pop" stores and VHS, there has just been something missing from the "home viewing" experience. Being able to find stuff that no major label will touch, titles that you would see mentioned in old books like "The Psychotronic Movie Guide" or in the writings of Joe Bob Briggs but can't find for the life of you at your local stores, you get the idea. Since tape trading circles and such have totally collapsed, that leaves out the "trade to play" aspect. But even before the death of the "golden age of home video" there were companies out there that
were lurking around selling their goods to the hungry underground fans looking for something new or different. And in some strange way preserving a bit of America, Mexico and Europe's sleazy grade-z movie heritage.
Sinister Cinema
www.sinistercinema.com
The grand daddy of all public domain companies. SC has been around for what seems like forever. They are film collector's themselves and most of their titles come from their own 16 or 35mm prints. Print condition can be spotty but they try to upgrade if they come across newer titles. They are also one of the few companies that STILL offers VHS along with DVD-R. They also strive to have the most complete and uncensored prints possible. SC is the only supplier for titles like "Manos: The Hands of Fate", Ed Wood's "The Sinister Urge", Ray Dennis Steckler films and some Euroshock titles that are hard to get. They are also very heavy into vintage westerns and serials. SC still prints a mail order catalog and has occasional sales that you will want to watch out for. DVD-Rs average $16.99 Like I said, watch for their sales.
Something Weird
www.somethingweird.com
The kings of sleaze and exploitation. They have a staggeringly large catalog of titles including Betty Page's films, 60' and 70's sleaze, educational films, not to mention the usual public domain stuff. They have a ton of titles you WILL NOT find anywhere else and also are the only source of the Herschel Gordon Lewis "Blood Feast/2000 Maniacs" films and the Doris "Bad Girls Go To Hell" Wishman catalog of films. They also still offer VHS on most titles. Their DVD-Rs average 9.99 and they also offer downloads at their website for $5.99
If you are looking for legit copies of uncut Eurosleaze or Eurohorror, you can't go wrong with these suppliers:
Diabolik DVD www.diabolikdvd.com
Xploited Cinema http://exploitedcinema.com
Luminous Film & Video Works www.lfvw.com (They also sell region-free DVD players)
Creepy Classics
www.creepyclassics.com
Ron offers used, new and DVD-R titles of classic horror and sci-fi films along with models, magazines and
memberships to his yearly horror convention in Pittsburgh. His prices are always fair and I have had no problems when I have purchased from him. The website is a lot of fun for classic monster and horror fans.
Shocking Videos
www.revengeismydestiny.com
You need something REALLY obscure and don't want to pay $50 for a bootleg on Ebay? Well here is your place. They have a ton of titles I have seen nowhere else. If you are looking for stuff like "Death Laid An Egg" or a kung fu flick like "Enter The Seven Virgins", this is your place.
Alpha Video
www.oldies.com
OK, a word of warning here. Alpha deals in public domain titles along with some original stuff. The problem? Many of their masters are taken from material available from such sources as Sinister Cinema. Though I just don't find it right there seems to be loopholes in the law that allow it. And most of these companies don't have 500 lawyers on retainer like a Sony or Universal. So you have been warned. If you go to their website they do have a large number of titles all on manufactured DVDs and sometimes they have huge sales where you can get discs for $5 or even 3.99 and even less in box sets. Quality is all over the map from cut (The Beast Of Yucca Flats) to horrid video quality (Maniac) to excellent (Bela Lugosi Meets A Brooklyn Gorilla).
Mill Creek Entertainment
www.millcreekent.com
The company once known as Treeline is most notable for their infamous 50 MOVIE PACKS which contain public domain films stolen from every source imaginable and then presented at lower bitrates so they could get two movies on each side of a double disc. At least they have had the sense to steal the BEST copies they can find. But to their credit, MC is now obtaining legit material such as the Crown International Films catalog and material from BCI, not to mention putting out a ton of TV series such as the complete "HE-MAN" series, "Red Baron", "Ultraman" and others, so they are on the right path. And the 50 packs DO save space and give me a chance to check out grade-z movies before I decide if it is worth upgrading to a better quality DVD. So it is a mixed bag.
were lurking around selling their goods to the hungry underground fans looking for something new or different. And in some strange way preserving a bit of America, Mexico and Europe's sleazy grade-z movie heritage.
Sinister Cinema
www.sinistercinema.com
The grand daddy of all public domain companies. SC has been around for what seems like forever. They are film collector's themselves and most of their titles come from their own 16 or 35mm prints. Print condition can be spotty but they try to upgrade if they come across newer titles. They are also one of the few companies that STILL offers VHS along with DVD-R. They also strive to have the most complete and uncensored prints possible. SC is the only supplier for titles like "Manos: The Hands of Fate", Ed Wood's "The Sinister Urge", Ray Dennis Steckler films and some Euroshock titles that are hard to get. They are also very heavy into vintage westerns and serials. SC still prints a mail order catalog and has occasional sales that you will want to watch out for. DVD-Rs average $16.99 Like I said, watch for their sales.
Something Weird
www.somethingweird.com
The kings of sleaze and exploitation. They have a staggeringly large catalog of titles including Betty Page's films, 60' and 70's sleaze, educational films, not to mention the usual public domain stuff. They have a ton of titles you WILL NOT find anywhere else and also are the only source of the Herschel Gordon Lewis "Blood Feast/2000 Maniacs" films and the Doris "Bad Girls Go To Hell" Wishman catalog of films. They also still offer VHS on most titles. Their DVD-Rs average 9.99 and they also offer downloads at their website for $5.99
If you are looking for legit copies of uncut Eurosleaze or Eurohorror, you can't go wrong with these suppliers:
Diabolik DVD www.diabolikdvd.com
Xploited Cinema http://exploitedcinema.com
Luminous Film & Video Works www.lfvw.com (They also sell region-free DVD players)
Creepy Classics
www.creepyclassics.com
Ron offers used, new and DVD-R titles of classic horror and sci-fi films along with models, magazines and
memberships to his yearly horror convention in Pittsburgh. His prices are always fair and I have had no problems when I have purchased from him. The website is a lot of fun for classic monster and horror fans.
Shocking Videos
www.revengeismydestiny.com
You need something REALLY obscure and don't want to pay $50 for a bootleg on Ebay? Well here is your place. They have a ton of titles I have seen nowhere else. If you are looking for stuff like "Death Laid An Egg" or a kung fu flick like "Enter The Seven Virgins", this is your place.
Alpha Video
www.oldies.com
OK, a word of warning here. Alpha deals in public domain titles along with some original stuff. The problem? Many of their masters are taken from material available from such sources as Sinister Cinema. Though I just don't find it right there seems to be loopholes in the law that allow it. And most of these companies don't have 500 lawyers on retainer like a Sony or Universal. So you have been warned. If you go to their website they do have a large number of titles all on manufactured DVDs and sometimes they have huge sales where you can get discs for $5 or even 3.99 and even less in box sets. Quality is all over the map from cut (The Beast Of Yucca Flats) to horrid video quality (Maniac) to excellent (Bela Lugosi Meets A Brooklyn Gorilla).
Mill Creek Entertainment
www.millcreekent.com
The company once known as Treeline is most notable for their infamous 50 MOVIE PACKS which contain public domain films stolen from every source imaginable and then presented at lower bitrates so they could get two movies on each side of a double disc. At least they have had the sense to steal the BEST copies they can find. But to their credit, MC is now obtaining legit material such as the Crown International Films catalog and material from BCI, not to mention putting out a ton of TV series such as the complete "HE-MAN" series, "Red Baron", "Ultraman" and others, so they are on the right path. And the 50 packs DO save space and give me a chance to check out grade-z movies before I decide if it is worth upgrading to a better quality DVD. So it is a mixed bag.